December 10, 2012

Breakfast bubbly at the Neighbourgoods Market

Oysters and bubbly for breakfast – or rather before breakfast. That’s what I always have at the Neighbourgoods Market, at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock.

There is something absolutely decadent when it comes to oysters and sparkling wine, and it is the perfect way to start a weekend.

The indoor market has become a must-do when visiting Cape Town. There are about 100 stalls offering a range of delicious artisanal foods and drink, and I am on a mission to eventually have bought something from each and every stall.

It is one of my favourite Saturday morning hang-out spots. I amble around, sampling freshly-baked bread, cheese, olives and pickles, while deciding which goodies to buy to take home.

Turkish bread is always high on my list, as is gourmet sausage and anything with chillis in it. Wedges of locally-made cheeses go into my shopping bag, along with deliciously salty olives.

Because it’s Saturday and I am at the market, I rationalise that I am entitled to have a proper meal, even after all the nibbles I had. I normally have to walk around the large room a couple of times, though, deciding what I’m going to have.

At this point I am in foodie heaven: the smell of garlic and spices hang invitingly in the air, but I’ve still not decided.

A craft beer is obligatory; it could help me make up my mind about what I am eventually going to eat.

Fellow shoppers are already happily sitting around long trestle tables, having made up their minds and are munching away. A final whirl around all the stalls and … I settle on the done-to-perfection steak.

And another successful Saturday morning is done and dusted. As I waltz out with my goodie-filled bags, I stop one last time – to buy a bunch of fresh flowers.